PM tried to justify AL's victory, Fakhrul says

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tried to justify Awami League's victory through her address to the nation

The BNP leader made the allegation while talking to reporters at his party's Nayapaltan central office on Saturday, reports UNB.

Fakhrul also described the Prime Minister's call for a national unity as mere political rhetoric.

"I've heard her (PM's) speech. I think, she delivered such a speech out of a guilty conscience. It seems to me she has perhaps realised what they did (in the election) was not right. So, she's explained why BNP performed so poorly and they (AL) did so well. Though it's her own explanation," Fakhrul said.

On Friday evening, the Prime Minister in her televised address to the nation stressed the need for national unity to take the country forward, and urged the elected Members of Parliament from the opposition party (BNP-led Jatiya Oikyafront) to take their oath and join Parliament.

Sheik Hasina addressed the nation following the formation of her new government earlier this month as Awami League got a landslide victory in the December-30 parliamentary elections.

Fakhrul said the local media and other people concerned are not talking about the real incidents that took place during the election out of fear.

"But the international media and different countries through their reports have exposed it that it was not an election at all as it was a cruel mockery with the nation," the BNP leader said.

He said the December-30 election has badly affected the nation as people have lost their confidence in the election process, the Election Commission and the state after the way the state machinery and the agencies were abused during the election.

The BNP leader also accused Awami League of putting the entire state against people to manipulate the election.

He said they are demanding reelection under a neutral government annulling the December-30 polls as people did not endorse it. "We want a fresh election to be held so that people can give their verdict through it."

About the Prime Minister's call for a national unity, Fakhrul said there is no reason for people to accept it as they saw the Prime Minister could not live up to the promises she made during the talks with Jatiya Oikyafront before the election.

"She assured us that no new arrest would be made, no fresh case would be filed and a level-playing field would be ensured. But she couldn't live up to any of her promises. So, now her call for the national unity is nothing but rhetoric," he observed.

The BNP leader said their party's elected MPs will neither go to parliament nor take oath as they have already rejected the election results.